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Wild weather knocks down trees, power lines in Palm Beach County

Residents of Drexel Avenue left to clean up mess
Posted at 6:55 PM, Apr 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-26 21:04:08-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla — A major cleanup is now underway for many living in West Palm Beach after severe weather took out power lines and knocked down several trees.

In a matter of minutes Sunday afternoon, severe weather and thunderstorms slammed parts of Palm Beach County, leaving behind a mess for many resident living along Drexel Avenue.

"It was like that within 10 minutes. Ten minutes it was done," Robbie Warner said. "We weren't expecting this whole tree to go out like this."

The fierce thunderstorm uprooted a massive tree in his backyard. As it came down, it out a few power lines.

"The decking, everything just ripped up," Warner said. "You can see the root line going that way. I got a mess to clean up. It just started sparking everything and all of a sudden these lines are down and this is laying over and nobody's got power."

Nearby, Robert McKenzie was dealing with a similar scene. After the storm passed, he went out to clean up debris and tree branches. The storms ultimately snapped a tree in half in his front yard.

"When I heard the loud crack, I had no idea," McKenzie said. "And I was like, 'What the heck was that?' I look outside and I see the top of the tree down on the road and I'm like, 'Oh my goodness.' It was crazy."

Despite being without power, both men said they are grateful the storm didn't cause any injuries.

The county's coronavirus testing site at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches was also impacted. Tents, cones and equipment were all knocked down after wicked winds swept through.

As a result, some appointment times for Monday have been pushed back, according to a news release from Palm Beach County.